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Tuesday, August 09, 2011

One Last Hurrah for MOCA's "Art in the Streets" Exhibit

Yes, I'm a bit of a procrastinator, and yes, I sometimes call myself "Last Minute Mike" (in the third person? why, of course), because I -- how should I put it -- take my time on things. But there was a host of reasons why I never got around to seeing the popular Museum of Contemporary Art exhibit "Art in the Streets," housed at its Geffen Contemporary site in Little Tokyo.

So when I learned that Monday was the final day for "Art in the Streets," I sprang into action. If that wasn't reason enough, street artist Banksy had been sponsoring the exhibit on Mondays -- making it free. Good enough for me. I grabbed Blogger Kid and Blogger Toddler 2.0 and raced downtown -- getting there with an hour to spare (the museum shuts at 5).

Indeed, I literally waited until the final hour to check out "Art in the Streets." But I'm glad I did. (And I know an hour isn't nearly enough time to check out the exhibit. But trust me -- an hour is about the limit for a museum visit with two small kids in tow.)

The floor of the Geffen Contemporary was jam-packed, as I'm sure I wasn't the only one racing to see the exhibit for free before it shut down for good. But it was still doable, and there was plenty of visual stimulation for the kids as well.

Here's how MOCA described "Art in the Streets":

Art in the Streets is the first major U.S. museum survey of graffiti and street art. Curated by MOCA Director Jeffrey Deitch and Associate Curators Roger Gastman and Aaron Rose, the exhibition will trace the development of graffiti and street art from the 1970s to the global movement it has become today, concentrating on key cities such as New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, London, and Sao Paulo, where a unique visual language or attitude has evolved. The exhibition will feature paintings, mixed media sculptures, and interactive installations by 50 of the most dynamic artists and will emphasize Los Angeles's role in the evolution of graffiti and street art, with special sections dedicated to seminal local movements such as cholo graffiti and Dogtown skateboard culture. A comprehensive timeline illustrated with artwork, photos, video, and ephemera will provide a historical context for the work.